Two decades ago, three women living in different places across the country all experienced the same issue. They were misdiagnosed, mistreated, and misunderstood. They were all women living with heart disease.
So they sought to change that – they created the first patient-centered organization dedicated to educating, supporting, and advocating on behalf of the millions of women living with or at risk of heart disease, and WomenHeart: The National Coaltion for Women with Heart Disease was born. At the time, heart disease was mainly known as a “man’s disease” (and oftentimes, it still is). Our founders, along with so many other women, felt isolated due to their diagnosis. Over time, they built a community of thousands of women, loved ones, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and partner organizations.
In 2001, WomenHeart held its first Science & Leadership Symposiumin partnership with the Mayo Clinic to train women living with heart disease so that they could support, educate and advocate in their own communities nationwide.
In 2009, WomenHeart Champions visited the White House to advocate for gender equality in the heart health space. In addition to being our boots on the ground in the fight against the #1 killer of women, ten years later our WomenHeart Champions are leading the charge on the national level.
WomenHeart started with three women taking charge of their own heart journeys. Since then, thousands of women living with heart disease have been empowered to educate other women who are at risk, support those who’ve been diagnosed, and advocate for heart health nationwide. We have grown into an invaluable community – all with the mission to save lives.
Join us for our next twenty years and see what we can become together!